How HGV drivers can help save the lives of traffic accident victims
Every day, victims of road traffic accidents die needlessly because individuals immediately at the scene don’t know the basics of first aid.
Many deaths occur from little more than a blocked airway, a condition that, with the right training, is relatively easy to treat. Death from a blocked airway occurs in about 4 minutes – the target time for an ambulance is 8 minutes.
Driver First Assist (DFA) is an exciting, much-needed life-saving road safety initiative that is supported nationally by all three emergency services and the Road Haulage Association is pleased to be able to play its part.
Commenting, DFA founder David Higginbottom said: “HGV drivers represent a huge, immediate-response resource. They are often first at the scene of an accident yet few are trained in first aid skills. Skills that can mean the difference between life or death.
“The medical knowledge of the first person to arrive at the scene is critically important. Over half of those seriously injured in a RTA lose their life before the emergency services even arrive.
“It's easy to see why proper emergency training really can make the difference between life or death for the victim.
To find out more, go to http://www.driverfirstassist.org/pages/training